Show ef GOAT RAISING QUITE profitable 1 qt q 4 Z e N M I 1 A 1 11 angora buck and does prepared by tho the united states department 1 of agriculture tho the raising of angora goats la in tho the united states la is now a demonstrated success the industry la is indeed so ao well established hero here that growers need not be inconvenienced by the action of south africa in prohibiting tho the exportation of angoras angomas An goras tor for tho the quantity of good blood in this country Is already sufficient to meet all requirements quire ments in the opinion of experts tho the best beat american fleeces now equal any grown in south africa or asia aela minor the original homo home of the angora although nearly every state in the union now possesses its flocks the southwest and tho the northwest are especially ally well adapted to the industry in particular the large areas recently logged off in the northwest there tho the angora not only thrives himself but helps to clear away the brush which it if allowed to grow un chocked checked might easily become a dangerous fire trap thus it la in often said that the angora works and pays tor for its board at the same time it Is paying more and more tor for the tha value of tho the fleece or mohair la Is increasing steadily formerly the use of 0 mohair depended so largely upon tho the prevailing fashion that Us price varied widely from year to year this condition however la Is rapidly chang ing as aa now new uses tor for mohair arecton aro con aln bally found irom from automobile tops find and table covers to dress goods and curled false hair aud today the grower la Is assured of a reasonably stead steady Y market markel the price of 0 course varies with the quality tho the very best fleeces bringing on an average from forty two to fifty five cents a 8 pound the weight of a fleece has a very wide range but in 1909 the average for ore jou BOU was wae found to 40 ue 27 na tor for texas on account ot of the greater heat however and the damage of shedding angoras angomas in the southwest Bouth west are frequently shorn twice a year a fact which must be taken into consideration in all calculations this practise of clipping twice a year rear Is in many ways a drawback to the in industry austry orrice sace it tends to lower the average grade of american hair mohair as good as any can calbo I 1 be and to Is grown in this country bu but t the average quality la is not today considered to bo be as good as the foreign about two million pounds are annually imported ordinarily this is blended and spun with tho the domestic product six inches to la the shortest length of fleece usually desired and because of shearing twice a year much texas and now new mexico mohair fills falls below this standard where the fleece Is allowed to grow for fog 12 months the average length Is ten inches and in the best beat flocks it to Is not unusual to got get fifteen to twenty inches romeo the sweepstakes buck at the el EI paso show in 1910 is an example of what is possible ills his fleece weighed 18 pounds measured 20 inches in length and sold for such fleece te Is not of course the product of or commercial conditions it implies a considerable amount of care and personal attention tho the birth rate is approximately 66 65 per coat cent but in well managed flocks flock a this has risen on occasions as high as per cent since the kids are not hardy it is obvious that chilt this means skill and industry during the breeding season the management of angoras angomas does not differ greatly from that of sheep while the angora A goat needs attention tion it Is adaptable and as far as temperature pera per ture aturo is concerned should flourish in any part of the united states in montana the flocks face the heavy snowfalls snowballs snow falls with equanimity as long as a dry place to la provided tor for them at night and though the heat in the southwest frequently makes it necessary to shear twice a year irk in order to prevent shedding it does not otherwise affect tho the health of the flocks dampness however Is more injurious than either cither cold or heat high land Is the of MI all goats and they invariably seek it when left to themselves pure water Is also an cassen elal otherwise the angora angom Is not part particular leu it will teed feed with cattle and sheep and though in some danger of being kicked with horses also As a matter of fact however the goat prefers a certain Corta amount of rough pasture and Is particularly happy when cleaning up brush land there Is ono one instance of a flock of being allowed treo free gr grazing azine in a california forest reserve in order to keep tho the strips of cleared land known as fire are breaks free from weeda and vegetation settlers in the northwest find the angora most in browsing off tho the brush on oa their now new lands and one inter up ban railway company purchased a flock to keep its right of way clear and attractive on very rough land thu tho danger of injury to tho the fleece must however ho bo be kept in mind As has already been said the angora can bo be bred sufficiently pure toi tat practical purposes from tho the stock al ready in this country and there Is no nood need of further importations for foi brooding breeding purposes somo some years ago however this was not believed to be ba tho the case cabe and in 1881 1891 the tho sultan of turkey endeavored to preserve tor for ills hla dominions the monopoly of the mohair trade by prohibiting tho the exportation of the live animal ills ilia example was waa followed by aduth africa but it was too late some of tho the best blood was waa already in america and today other countries aro are buying of us flocks having been shipped recently to drazil brazil and tho the Ar gontino various associations have already been fornier for nied for the development ot of the industry in this country and tho the quantity ot of the annual product Is increasing rapidly in 1913 it to Is estimated that pounds of mohair were ero grown in the united states puller fullor details of the management and care of flocks are to be found in farmers bulletin v arthe the angora goat which will bo be sent pent tree free on application to the department of agriculture |